THURSDAY-6TH DECEMBER 2007-DRUG PROBLEM WORSENING IN COUNTRY:LEE

Lee: Drug problem worsening in country
He calls on everyone to help make Malaysia drug-free
KOTA KINABALU: Malaysia Crime Prevention Foundation (MCPF) Vice- Chairman Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye yesterday called on all voluntary organisations, parents and concerned individuals to rally behind the call by the Government to fight the drug menace and help make Malaysia drug-free by the year 2015. Lee pointed out that as the largest anti- crime NGO in the country, MCPF remains ever committed in its challenging task to educate the younger generation about the dangers of drug abuse and free themselves from the menace. Police statistics showed that 30 to 40 percent of drug addicts were involved in petty crimes. As such eradicating the drug menace is crucial in the fight against crime. “Malaysia’s move to make the nation drug free by the year 2015 is laudable but it requires commitment, political will and the fullest participation by all sectors of the community, including parents and teachers, to achieve this objective,” he said in a statement yesterday. According to Lee, the Government has spent hundreds of millions of ringgit to tackle the drug menace in the country but the problem is far from being eradicated. Victory is still nowhere in sight. Statistics on drug users in the country are not only shocking, they are worsening each year. Clearly, no one party alone can help to overcome the drug menace. The Government needs not only the support of non-governmental organisations, voluntary bodies and religious organisations, but also their full commitment in helping to curb the drug problem, he said. Lee added the drug addiction problem has been Malaysia’s number one problem for more than two decades and even as we enter the new millennium. As such, drug abuse still poses a major problem to the nation, particularly those aged between 15 and 40 who make up 80 per cent of the drug addicts in the country. Up to last year, about 1% of the country’s population or 255,725 Malaysians were found to be drug addicts. Lee said it is time for all organizations and associations as well as the entire Malaysian community to work closely with the Government to combat the drug menace to save our younger generation from the scourge of drugs. “To all our youths who are the biggest asset in the country, I wish to advise them to keep away from drugs not only for their own well-being but also for the sake of the country and its future.
“It is necessary to develop a more affective strategy towards making the nation drug free by 2015. “As the key to the fight against drugs lies in prevention, a national- level prevention strategy is needed to involve the home society and workplace to help eradicate the problem,” he said. The active role of parents and the community in the campaign to battle drug abuse is also vital and must be intensified if the nation wants to ensure that drug addiction among teenagers and the youths, including students does not become more prevalent. Granted that drug abuse is still a national problem despite the existing stringent laws, there cannot be any let-up in the nation effort to eradicate the problem, he said. Concerned as well are with youth involvement in drugs, MCPF wishes to offer the following advices and suggestions: a) Youths must learn how to cope with the stresses of daily life without resorting to drugs. This could be done through spiritual means or engaging in healthy recreational activities. b) Youths must resist ‘peer pressure’ if they are urged or influenced to do things which they know is wrong, improper and which leads to self-destruction. c) They should be educated about the dangers of drug abuse and addiction through seminars, workshop, books and publications. They should pass on information about the harmful effects of drugs to their friends. d) They must develop courage, discipline; a sense of responsibility and self-esteem to build a better future for themselves and the country by rejecting drugs and e) Malaysian youths must unite and help one another to achieve a drug free 21st century.